MADRID – The Madrid softball team was within striking distance as senior Taylor Bell led off the 10th inning with her third bunt single of the night on Thursday.

“Most of the time that Taylor Bell gets on, she’s going to make it in somehow,” Madrid coach Whitney Boaz said. “She finds a way.”

Bell’s quickness led to the game-winning run as senior Kat Ackerson ripped a one-out double for the Tigers (8-9) to seal a 3-2 victory over rival Woodward-Granger (10-10) on Thursday.

Bell and Ackerson proved to be the perfect combination, sparking Madrid’s rally.

“It’s who you want to have up in that situation when they’re somebody that has experience and somebody that’s going to do all that they can to make it happen,” Boaz said.

Senior Lynn Rigby added three hits in the game while Ackerson finished with two hits and two RBIs. Junior Chelsea Hinkel doubled and junior Naomi Dalton contributed a single as the Tigers collected 10 hits.

Coming off Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Des Moines Christian (14-6), Madrid entered Thursday’s game determined to come out on top in another tight matchup.

“We really focused on that on Wednesday and how getting one person on base could be the ending point of the game,” Boaz said. “We just talked to our girls about wanting to be in that pressure situation to get on base, to get that base hit and score that run.”

It all came together for the Tigers as Bell and Ackerson rose to the occasion with the game on the line.

Senior Sarah Kleinwort earned the win for Madrid. Kleinwort (5-7) scattered six hits and appeared to get stronger as the marathon game wore on.

“I think that’s just her strength,” Boaz said. “She gets warmed up even more and more as the game goes on.”

Kleinwort struck out one batter and walked two. Her pre-game routine had her in the zone.

“She gets here before the game and almost throws a complete game to warm up,” Boaz said. “She just gets stronger and stronger. Her pitches were hitting the spots and I couldn’t ask for a betting outing from her.”

The defense stepped up behind Kleinwort all night. Junior Anna Cairns made a game-saving catch in right field to fend off a Woodward-Granger threat in the top of the eighth.

Kleinwort intentionally walked Delaney Bice in the ninth, allowing the Hawks to load the bases with two outs. The freshman is second in the state with 10 home runs, so the Tigers gave her the free pass.

“She could’ve hit a base hit and got a run, but I was willing to take that chance with my defense,” Boaz said.

It led to an inning-ending catch by Rigby in left field.

“It worked out,” Boaz said. “As a coach, sometimes you have to try to control what you can control as best you can.”

Madrid faced Woodward-Granger again last night at Woodward.

The Tigers open the CMB Invitational today against Montezuma (8-11) at 10:45 p.m. at Baxter.

“I feel like we’re peaking at the right time,” Boaz said. “We’re really doing what we should do right now.”